Sinister- Opening Scene Analysis

The scene opens with a old fashioned shot of a family with bags on their heads attached to rope in the middle of a forest which is conventional of horror movies to be set in an abandoned, isolated area. This gives the movie a sense of mystery as the identity of the family is being kept hidden and makes the audience feel as is they are being kept in a loop.The non-diegetic ghostly music sets the atmosphere as suspenseful. The diegetic sound of the branch being cut makes the audience feel tensed an on edge as it means that the family of four will hanged and as a result will die. This juxtaposes with the sound of the tape rolling and adds a sense of realism. This is a convention of horror movies as they tend to make the audience feel uncertain and on edge. The use of the super 8 camera filter footage gives it the old, haunting impression, perhaps this was supposed to be remained a secret. This scene immediately gives away so much to the audience without the use of any voice or antagonist. This is a long shot and this gives the audience a chance to focus on every detail they can from this scene. As the family are being lifted up the grainy non-diegetic music builds up and the family are dead. The title of the film then appears in a white, worn out chalky writing, this could suggest it has been written by children as the opening scene is based of a family.

The Visit- Analysis of titles & Soundtrack in Opening Sequence

The opening sequence starts off with a eerie wind like howling sound and from this you can immediately recognise the genre of the movie-Horror. The camera zooms out revealing the Universal logo. By displaying this logo the audience will be looking forward to watch the film as they are a successful production company and is also part of the big 6. The next title is revealed and the camera is following a black crow, this is typical for horror movies as crows are associated with death. Followed by this is the Blumhouse Productions title and this is shown with a chair floating in the air which gives it a supernatural element. The colour black is quite prominent and this connotes mystery and fear.

When the title of the movie "The Visit" appears there is non-diegetic olden style music playing. The colours used are red and black. Red usually connotes danger and blood which could foreshadow that something bad may happen on the children's visit to their grandparents. The music is then followed by the same howling sound from the beginning. The titles then fade in and out as the movie goes on to show the main characters. Immediately you can recognise who will be the centre of the film, the children. This is typical and conventional of horror movies as children are usually the victims as they are naïve and innocent. The titles are accompanied by diegetic sound of the train moving and screeching.

Doll Face- Short Horror Movie Analysis

The movie opens with non-diegetic eerie, suspenseful music and an extreme close up of a pair of hands from behind bars holding on. Low key lighting is used which is typical of horror movies. The scene cuts to a couple playing chess in their home and is then interrupted by a door bell. As the door opens strums of violin is played and a women with a pale white face painted on white one white eye which makes her look like a zombie appears at the door. The scene cuts to a road with the lady at the store at night, a jump cut is used when the woman appears and this creates a sense of panic in the audience. The lady states her husband has gone missing for four hours and this connotes that something has happened to him. Tension builds up when the women finds a chess piece which her husband had, this reinforces that perhaps he is in danger. We then hear shouting "No, help me". A mysterious women then appears following the protagonist suggesting that she is in danger too. The heavy breathing and panting adds to the sense of panic. As she reaches the top it is revealed that the shouting was just a recording. A close up is then used to show that the husband-Kyle is dead. A jump scare is used to show the women behind bars from the beginning of the movie, she shouts "She's coming, help me" . The music builds up as the pair are trying to run free.

An close-up then shows the dollface appearing behind the imprisoned woman stabbing her in the back. The films ends with the dollface smiling at the protagonist suggesting to the audience that she is next. The theme of the dollface is ambiguous.

Attic Panic- Short Horror Movie Analysis

The movie opens with a shot of a woman perhaps at work locking up, When leaving she realises the door is locked and she is stuck. This foreshadows to the audience that something bad will happen and she will be the victim. The diegetic sound of the bulb twitching is further shown with a close-up of the bulb going out and smashing. This creates fear and panic in the audience. Low-key lighting is used and this is conventional as it creates as a suspenseful atmosphere. Then a white ghostly figure which is the antagonist is shown getting closer and closer. Non-diegetic music is used for the jump scares.

Eerie, deep music builds up as the antagonist gets closer and the women lock her self away in effort to save herself. As the ghost appears in front of her the music stops and a silhouette of a hand is shown through the white cloth. As she tries to uncover the spirit the non-diegetic music builds up and so does the tension. Another bulb smashes and a jump-cut is used when the antagonist appears behind the woman and then cuts to a blank screen suggesting something has happened to the woman.

The Conjuring-Trailer Analysis

 

The trailer opens with the ghost-hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren in a dark, dull cellar with equipment looking for a supernatural spirit. This relates back to the sub-genre of the movie- Supernatural. The hand- held camera gives the impression that they are creating a home movie. Then non-diegetic music is played and is followed by montages of real pictures of Ed and Lorraine Warren. As it is based on a true story this gives a sense of fear and suspense in the audience. The music then carries on and an establishing shot of a dark and eerie back garden is shown, presenting to the audience that this is where the movie will be set. This is conventional for horror movies as they are usually set in an abandoned and isolated house with a new family with young kids moving in.

The music then stops, and an old fashioned clock is ticking creating a tensed atmosphere and this contrasts with the close-up shot of children sleeping. You then hear diegetic screaming and photo frames falling and crashing down. Fast pace editing creates a sense of panic in the audience. The ghost-hunters then appear at the house helping the family to be free from the supernatural occurrences. Close-ups of the family presents them as helpless and vulnerable. The scene then cuts to a point of view shot showing a body hanging from the tree which is only visible by Lorraine Warren and the audience. When helping the family Warren mentions "You have a lot of spirits in here, one that I am most worried about" this connotes that the one will be behind all events and is causing the family distress.

The ambient sound of sudden screaming from the girls and a shot of a supernatural spirit jumping onto the little girl from above connotes that this spirit is bigger than them and will take a lot to get rid of. The trailer finishes off with Lorraine Warren being haunted by one of the spirits and this shows to the audience that perhaps the plot will not be resolved.

Mother-Radio Trailer Analysis

The trailer opens with a strum of violin followed closely with panicked screams and heavy breathing. This creates a sense of alarm and fear in the audience. This is reinforced when someone screams "Noooo". Then we hear silence and this creates a feeling of suspense as the audience we are wondering what will come next. We then hear a slow pace harmonious music, this contrasts with the music played before. The non-diegetic music may represent the couple who are in love and the women stating "I wanna build a paradise". This shows to the audience that the movie is based around the couple.

This is then followed by silence and then a sudden strum of violin hinting to the audience something is going to happen. We then hear a knock on the door followed by repeated strums of violin building up to a climax creating a suspenseful and dramatic atmosphere. We then hear this fast pace beat sounds as if its knocking linking back to the knock on the door. This foreshadows that something bad will happen and the man at the door is perhaps the cause. This is further reinforced when the women states "He's a stranger".

Next we hear sudden thuds and glass breaking and a beat building up. When the man states "They've come here to save me" we learn that the women is in danger and is the victim of the movie. We then hear her panicking and breathing heavily. The repetition of "Your insane" could mean that she is being tortured and hurt. She then shouts desperately leaving the audience to believe she is helpless and alone. The trailer finishes of with the same knock tying back to the knock previously, this connotes to the audience that the people at the door are the cause for the events.

Would You Rather-Trailer Analysis

The trailer opens with a shot of the main character-Iris walking into an office, the scene is accompanied by non-diegetic suspenseful music. This immediately sets the genre for the movie- horror. The main character is a young girl, who has no parents and has been left to look after her sick brother. This is conventional for horror movies as it is stereotypical for horror movies to have young vulnerable girls being the victim. When speaking about her sick brother the scene cuts to a high-held shot of  Iris giving her brother a kiss on her forehead. This makes the audience sympathise with Iris as she is left alone to care for her brother. This further presents their vulnerability and makes the audience sympathise with the siblings.

When Shepard Lambrick ( a philanthropist) states he can help Iris, the scene cuts to a wide-shot of the dinner party. It shows people in the same position as Iris, an elderly woman in a wheelchair, a middle aged man and a young man stood in the corner drinking. This connotes that they are as helpless and vulnerable as Iris and her brother. When explained the evening will consist of a game Iris replies "A contest?" this shows her innocence and how unaware she is of what is going to happen. The dinner party is set in a manor which is quite lavish and grand but at the same time dark and mysterious.

The non-diegetic music reaches its climax and creates a dramatic and tensed atmosphere, this is further reinforced by the clock ticking. As soon as it ticks the scene cuts to an empty dinner room and this gets the audience wondering what happens to the guests. It then cuts to montages people hiding under the table and bloody hands. The use of close up shows the fear and distress among the guests. The repetition of the phrase 'Would you rather?' emphasises how the guest must make a decision despite the consequences. The build-up of the upbeat and dramatic music represents the panic the guests are feeling. The screen then blanks and then suddenly cuts to screaming as if someone has been hurt. Lastly the trailer finishes off with olden style piano which is relaxed in contrast to the movie.

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Poster Analysis-Sinister

First of all the background of the poster is quite dull and gloomy and this ties back to the genre of the movie- horror. The cracked walls connote demonic presence and this is further reinforced by the blood red image. The image shows an angry demonic face looking straight at the camera and this makes the audience feels as if he is looking at them. The tagline states "Once you see him, nothing can save you" this creates a fearful and tense atmosphere and links back to the blood-red image. Moreover there are no celebrities or well-known actors in the movie and this is typical of horror movies as this allows the audience to sympathise with the characters. Also, the young girl is shown to be the victim and this is conventional of horror movies as young girls are usually presented as vulnerable and naïve.

The font of the title is creepy and worn out and this plays on the name of the movie "Sinister" creating a supernatural impression. The tagline is also significant as it gives the audience a point of narrative and links heavily with the blood-red image. The blood-red image seems to be coming from the young girl and this gives an impression to the audience that the young girl will be getting hurt physically somehow in the movie possibly by the demon. Also at the top of the poster they have added past movies that have been produced by the same producer this perhaps shows the audience how the movies will be similar as they share the same genre and subgenre.

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Poster Analysis- The Woman in Black

This poster follows the codes and conventions of a horror movie poster. This is shown through the font and the colours used. The main colour shown in the poster is black and this connotes death and  fear which links to the genre of the film, supernatural horror. Moreover you can see a sihouette in the back which also relates to what the film is based on and as the audience you are able to infer that the movie is about perhaps haunting spirits. Also as it is behind the protagonist it perhaps means that he is unaware of what is going to happen creating an element of mystery. The colour black immediately creates a negative atmosphere. The font used is simple yet bold as it is in capitals. The white stands out against the black background and also emphasises the ghostly nature of the film by creating a spooky, eerie atmosphere and allows the audience to identify the genre of the film.

Immediately looking at the poster you can recognise who the main character is in the movie, Daniel Radcliffe as he takes up majority of the frame. Through the extreme close-up you are able to see his facial expressions and this allows the audience to see his intense and serious expression. The eyes are as if they are staring into the audience making them feel connected. Also, we can identify the setting of the film which is an isolated, abandoned house which seems to be in the middle of nowhere, this is stereotypical of horror movies as they are usually set in an isolated building. Through lighting the main character is highlighted and may mean that perhaps he is running away from the darkness. This is further reinforced as the silhouette and haunted house is behind him.

ABE-Textual Analysis

Horror is presented in ABE mostly through sound. The non-diegetic dramatic music builds up as the extract goes on. This establishes the scene as an isolated abandoned warehouse, this is conventional as most horror movies are set in abandoned buildings like the movie The cabin the woods ( 2011). Through the use of a crab shot we are first introduced to the young women. Immediately we can see that she has been kidnapped as she had taper over her mouth. Her hands and legs have also been tied down to the surgery bed, foreshadowing perhaps a medical surgery will be performed against her will. As she is the a young teenage girl and also the victim this is a convention and is also used in the movie Split (2016) , this is perhaps because thy are vulnerable and easy targets. This is reinforced further when we see splatters of blood on the plastic curtains connoting that there have been other victims perhaps like the girl.

Moreover the hand held shots create a sense of panic and distress amongst the audience, as it makes it them feel as if they are experiencing the same distress as the girl. Through the use of  low key lighting tension is created due to the mysterious and dark atmosphere at the beginning, darkness can also make people feel vulnerable and threatened as they are not able to see as much and therefore fear the unknown. The light later changes to high-key which allows the audience to identify the setting.

Through the use of a silhouette we are first presented with the robot. The diegetic footsteps make the audience realise that it is not a human that kidnapped the young girl. Through the robot the movie is a sci-fi horror. When the robot speaks " Are you comfortable?" it is said in a calm and soothing voice in contrast to the girl who is panicking.

Audience Survey Analysis

Analysing our audience surveys from NuzhatMA

Preliminary Task

From conducting primary research such as surveys- via survey monkey and focus groups we found the majority of our target audience are big fans of the conjuring, as a result we decided to redo a 30 second extract from the film.

While filming we ran into several problems. For example just before filming our cameras charge had run out. Due to communication problems no-one bought a charger. As a consequence we used a I phone 6 to film this. This taught us how to be more prepared and improve our communication skills. Furthermore, the conjuring scene took place during the night, thus it was dark. My group and I were filming during the day. As a attempt to create a night time atmosphere, we closed the curtains. However this made it difficult to film, as the phone wasn't picking up anything due to the dark lighting. To deal with this we used our phone torch lights to create some high key lighting.

 Doing a preliminary task has been extremely helpful, as now that we've experienced these problems during filming, we know how to prevent the same problems when we're ready to film our real horror. This will make the construction of our horror run much more smoothly.

Production Schedule

Production schedules from NuzhatMA

BBFC- How are films certificated?

How are films certified?

Films prior to their theatrical release are classified by two BBFC examiners using guidelines. To protect children from unsuitable and harmful content in films and videos and to give consumers information they might need about a particular film or video before deciding whether or not to view it.

The BBFC examines and age rates films and videos before they are released. After that a senior examiner will confirm the recommendation if it fails then the film or video is viewed by other members of the board until a decision is made.

Every 4-5 years the BBFC carries out a big public consultations to get a view of what the public thinks of the age rating of films. They also decide if the BBFC’s classifications standards are met. The BBFC change its standards and criteria in response to the public.

They follow these key principles in particular.

There are two key principles, laid out in the Guidelines:

·         To protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful or otherwise unsuitable content

·         To empower consumers, particularly parents and those with responsibility for children, to make informed viewing decisions